Economic benefits of mechanical soil aeration to alleviate soil compaction on a dairy farm

摘要

This paper used investment analysis to assess the potential economic benefits of mechanical soil aeration to alleviate severe soil compaction on a North Otago Rolling Downlands dairy farm. Soils on this farm had been structurally damaged after 4 years of consecutive winter forage crop grazing. Reported benefits of mechanical aeration prior to resowing of pasture include a 13% increase in annual pasture production over 2 years. Estimated changes in dairy farm profitability from soil aeration have been calculated taking into consideration both the fixed and variable costs associated with the modelled farm enterprise. Response in farm profitability to greater pasture growth was realised through an increase in stocking rate and associated milk production. Net economic benefit from aeration (based on a milk sale price of NZ$6/kg milk solid) was $1354/year over a 12-year planning horizon, which equates to a net increase in profit of $67/ha/year of winter forage crop paddock that was aerated.